His jaw works slightly at the answer, because he isn't particularly comfortable with how obvious he's made that lately; being known to be close to people here just seems like a recipe for disaster. It's too late to worry about it now, though, besides-
"You realize it was a shitty thing to do period, right?" he asks. "'Cause I'd be pissed off no matter who you'd put on public display like that." He just might not have bothered to say anything about it... or maybe he would have just lost his shit at the guy immediately and publicly.
He agrees, resting the back of his head against the wood, face starting to heat up. They have, of course.
"I kind of don't know how to talk about it appropriately, but he and I had a conversation. A couple of conversations. We broke down what I was trying to do, what part of it didn't work, and why there are consequences for actions regardless of intention. I'm lucky he's as compassionate as he is, and I'm glad he still wants to work with me."
Eliot snorts derisively at Quentin's description of Steve, because 'soft touch' comes to mind a lot sooner than 'compassionate' in this situation. "What'll make you really damn lucky is if it turns out you didn't paint a target on his back." The asshole is very strongly implied in his tone of voice. "And dumber than I think he is if he ever trusts you again."
"Have you looked around at the kind of people you're trapped here with?" Eliot asks. "We're not exactly a good-natured bunch. And half the time you assholes don't even tell us who's responsible for intentional killing sprees because you're all so concerned about retaliatione's mental , you think there aren't people here who just want an excuse?"
He folds his arms over his chest and resists the urge to stalk closer to the guy. "Not to mention it's a dick move to go spewing your amateur theories about someone's damn mental health issues in public."
"I think there are people who would want an excuse, but that they wouldn't if they understood it wasn't malicious. More than that, after what Tarkin did earlier this week, I think it was important for people to know that it wasn't someone trying to terrorize them a little more. There are inmates here without powers, and without any background in active conflict, they have been afraid lately and they deserve to know right away that it wasn't one more- source of evil, that it was just someone else like them who was having a hard time. Living here is hard when you're scared. But I should have said that without naming Steve."
He finds himself repeating- because he honestly believes this. Even if he doesn't intend to bicker with him, and doesn't want to rehash Steve's business, it's hard to have this conversation without it. As for the rest.
"It shouldn't have come up how it did. The same thing with the mental health stuff."
"Jesus christ, it would be nice if you assholes could get on the same page about this shit, because half the time you don't tell us squat and the other half it's this kind of BS." Yes, he's still pissed about Tiffany and her refusal to say who'd killed her months back because she didn't want anyone retaliating... or having the information to be able to make an informed decision about who the hell to keep an eye out for or avoid.
"And for the record? I'm pretty sure the powerless civilians are afraid most of the time, it's just a matter of how much they let you see it." And the ones who aren't... probably need psychological help at least as much as Steve does. "Living here's hard period, living here when you can't trust the person the asshole in charge decided to give every last detail of your entire life to? That's gotta be a blast." The idea of Letty pulling that kind of stunt makes his stomach twist... and makes him want to shake the clueless little shit.
"Yes," says Quentin, nearly faintly, still holding himself up against the door, still meeting his eyes, "yes, I know that, and yes, he's put it in those terms to me. So we're dealing with it, along those lines."
That's why he'd been dreading this conversation; there's not a lot to do but look him in the eye and take it.
Eliot absolutely refuses to feel bad for the kid... kid, he almost snorts at the thought because Quentin probably isn't a lot younger than him, he just comes off as a kid. That aside, though, he's chosen to be here, chosen to take power over someone else in exchange for what the hell ever the admiral's promised him in return, and Eliot absolutely doesn't feel even the tiniest bit bad for the guy right now. Especially given he'd bet a lot more than money on Steve being way more forgiving than Quentin deserves. He'll give him a few points for just standing up and taking his lumps, though.
"Too damn little and too damn late," he observes, because it might be something but it's not enough. It's also not his decision, how Steve deals with his warden after this, hell, he doesn't have any business even having this conversation, he's sure. "But whether Steve's enough of a pushover to actually trust you again after this-" If he ever did to begin with, because Eliot's never actually bothered to ask about his warden or how he feels about the guy- "That's not my business.
"But if you ever pull that kinda shit again?" His expression has gone absolutely flat, the anger drained away as he stares intently at Quentin. "I will make really damn sure you regret the hell out of it, and not because it hurts your tender little feelings." Because there's no point pretending he's not invested at this point, he doesn't have any expectation of ever getting out of here, and he's well past being deterred by a little well-deserved murder and mayhem.
It's amazing how ten months on the barge has almost completely eroded what moral compass he'd managed to reconstruct before landing here.
He says, again, absolutely accepting that too. He'd expect it, he'd deserve it.
"And I'm not going to make bullshit promises about never doing it again, because I never meant to- to begin with, but we're working a lot harder now to make sure that I understand the way that Steve is, with the world. So that it'll be less likely to happen. I'm still- as different from the pair of you as chalk and cheese, but at a minimum I'm going to stay off the network, and I'm going to work hard to figure the rest out."
And, for that matter;
"You should probably know I offered the chance for him to request a new pairing, and I was relieved when he refused- but if he changes his mind he has a way out. If he talks this through with you then knowing his options will probably help."
Yeah, at least minimal points for taking his lumps like a man, plus not making any promises he can't guarantee he'd keep, though it doesn't shift Eliot's stony expression as he listens to Quentin's explanation. He's not exactly sure just what it is the guy thinks is so hard to understand about how Steve functions, but that's not his business. Looking out for Steve... well, that might not be either, but apparently he's decided he's doing it.
"Not gonna lie and say I don't think he should'a taken it." Because he really can't see trusting the guy, or how he'll be able to help Steve if he can't even understand him. And that's the big difference between him and Steve, or one of them--Steve's willing to work with the system, he wants to figure out just what the admiral thinks is wrong with him and get out of here. Eliot, for his part, figures there's no 'fixing' him, but even if there were... well, the things he'd have to change to get out of here are the things that make him useful to the only people he'd want to get out of here for. So there's no real point. "But thanks for letting me know."
Quentin agrees, chewing the inside of his cheek, before coming out with the most proactive thing he's managed so far- all in a rush, because it's becoming nerve wracking to do, and because he knows perfectly well what Eliot thinks of him right now, but;
"I don't know how to balance not knowing what to do for him with managing not to talk about him. Like even to you, even with this, there are huge parts that I have no fucking clue about, but I know I have to keep my mouth shut. But isn't he just in worse trouble, then? If just- no one is coming who can help, either of us?"
Eliot's honestly more irked than anything by how earnest Quentin seems to be about his perceived responsibility for Steve, though there's at least something to be said for the apparently honesty of it. "Maybe your mistake is figuring you've got any business trying to do a damn thing for him he doesn't flat out ask you for, just because the bastard in charge of this shit hole decided he's your pet project." Because as far as Eliot's concerned that's all a load of bullshit. "He's not not property and he's not a kid, fucking ask him what help he wants, and ask him who he's okay knowing his personal shit.
"And if he hurts people? Yeah, give him the same god damn slap on the wrist that most everyone else seems to get around here, except when they don't even fucking get that," he growls. Because, yeah, he's got a whole lot of rage about how that's all dealt with, especially given recent events.
Says Quentin- not pledging to agree with him, but at the very least, hearing this. He'll think about it- along with the pile of other stuff he has to turn over and over in the meantime.
"I've probably got to get back- but let me know if there's anything else."
Quentin nods, sidesteps, to give him an easy berth, and then moves to talk past him and out without further smalltalk. What needs to be said has been said, after all.
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timeasmymeasure
(woo)
Date: 2016-10-14 08:44 pm (UTC)"You realize it was a shitty thing to do period, right?" he asks. "'Cause I'd be pissed off no matter who you'd put on public display like that." He just might not have bothered to say anything about it... or maybe he would have just lost his shit at the guy immediately and publicly.
no subject
Date: 2016-10-14 09:00 pm (UTC)He agrees, resting the back of his head against the wood, face starting to heat up. They have, of course.
"I kind of don't know how to talk about it appropriately, but he and I had a conversation. A couple of conversations. We broke down what I was trying to do, what part of it didn't work, and why there are consequences for actions regardless of intention. I'm lucky he's as compassionate as he is, and I'm glad he still wants to work with me."
no subject
Date: 2016-10-14 11:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-14 11:38 pm (UTC)Says Quentin, for whom this would never be a question.
"That's how things are in your world?"
no subject
Date: 2016-10-15 02:53 am (UTC)He folds his arms over his chest and resists the urge to stalk closer to the guy. "Not to mention it's a dick move to go spewing your amateur theories about someone's damn mental health issues in public."
no subject
Date: 2016-10-15 01:03 pm (UTC)He finds himself repeating- because he honestly believes this. Even if he doesn't intend to bicker with him, and doesn't want to rehash Steve's business, it's hard to have this conversation without it. As for the rest.
"It shouldn't have come up how it did. The same thing with the mental health stuff."
no subject
Date: 2016-10-19 07:56 am (UTC)"And for the record? I'm pretty sure the powerless civilians are afraid most of the time, it's just a matter of how much they let you see it." And the ones who aren't... probably need psychological help at least as much as Steve does. "Living here's hard period, living here when you can't trust the person the asshole in charge decided to give every last detail of your entire life to? That's gotta be a blast." The idea of Letty pulling that kind of stunt makes his stomach twist... and makes him want to shake the clueless little shit.
no subject
Date: 2016-10-19 09:04 am (UTC)That's why he'd been dreading this conversation; there's not a lot to do but look him in the eye and take it.
no subject
Date: 2016-10-30 08:29 am (UTC)"Too damn little and too damn late," he observes, because it might be something but it's not enough. It's also not his decision, how Steve deals with his warden after this, hell, he doesn't have any business even having this conversation, he's sure. "But whether Steve's enough of a pushover to actually trust you again after this-" If he ever did to begin with, because Eliot's never actually bothered to ask about his warden or how he feels about the guy- "That's not my business.
"But if you ever pull that kinda shit again?" His expression has gone absolutely flat, the anger drained away as he stares intently at Quentin. "I will make really damn sure you regret the hell out of it, and not because it hurts your tender little feelings." Because there's no point pretending he's not invested at this point, he doesn't have any expectation of ever getting out of here, and he's well past being deterred by a little well-deserved murder and mayhem.
It's amazing how ten months on the barge has almost completely eroded what moral compass he'd managed to reconstruct before landing here.
no subject
Date: 2016-10-30 03:01 pm (UTC)He says, again, absolutely accepting that too. He'd expect it, he'd deserve it.
"And I'm not going to make bullshit promises about never doing it again, because I never meant to- to begin with, but we're working a lot harder now to make sure that I understand the way that Steve is, with the world. So that it'll be less likely to happen. I'm still- as different from the pair of you as chalk and cheese, but at a minimum I'm going to stay off the network, and I'm going to work hard to figure the rest out."
And, for that matter;
"You should probably know I offered the chance for him to request a new pairing, and I was relieved when he refused- but if he changes his mind he has a way out. If he talks this through with you then knowing his options will probably help."
no subject
Date: 2016-10-31 06:02 am (UTC)"Not gonna lie and say I don't think he should'a taken it." Because he really can't see trusting the guy, or how he'll be able to help Steve if he can't even understand him. And that's the big difference between him and Steve, or one of them--Steve's willing to work with the system, he wants to figure out just what the admiral thinks is wrong with him and get out of here. Eliot, for his part, figures there's no 'fixing' him, but even if there were... well, the things he'd have to change to get out of here are the things that make him useful to the only people he'd want to get out of here for. So there's no real point. "But thanks for letting me know."
no subject
Date: 2016-10-31 07:09 am (UTC)Quentin agrees, chewing the inside of his cheek, before coming out with the most proactive thing he's managed so far- all in a rush, because it's becoming nerve wracking to do, and because he knows perfectly well what Eliot thinks of him right now, but;
"I don't know how to balance not knowing what to do for him with managing not to talk about him. Like even to you, even with this, there are huge parts that I have no fucking clue about, but I know I have to keep my mouth shut. But isn't he just in worse trouble, then? If just- no one is coming who can help, either of us?"
no subject
Date: 2016-11-03 06:57 am (UTC)"And if he hurts people? Yeah, give him the same god damn slap on the wrist that most everyone else seems to get around here, except when they don't even fucking get that," he growls. Because, yeah, he's got a whole lot of rage about how that's all dealt with, especially given recent events.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-03 01:38 pm (UTC)Says Quentin- not pledging to agree with him, but at the very least, hearing this. He'll think about it- along with the pile of other stuff he has to turn over and over in the meantime.
"I've probably got to get back- but let me know if there's anything else."
no subject
Date: 2016-11-04 10:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-05 08:07 am (UTC)